Well, I’m me.

“Carus, next.”

The voices of a young woman in a nurse uniform reverberate in a wide white room reminiscent of a hospital or lab. Dozens of children lined up in front of a floating, translucent sphere. It's the best scanning device in the world.

It's an instrument that can scan every property of a person. I guess it's something similar to the appraisal skills of some Isekai protagonists. It can scan a person's ability and skill; it can even discover innate and latent talent hidden within a person. It's so good, especially for revealing people's inferiority and humiliating them.

Once the orb was clear, I walked up to it. "How the fuck am I supposed to use this?"

Oblivious to how to use it, studying other kids' hands and imitating it. It seems it's not the same cliché in some fantasy novels or manga. You don't need to imbue it with mana. This thing will simply horde every single piece of information in your body.

Well, it's not like I've got any expectations for it.

"Let's do this, Cilestia!! ”

As soon as I idiotically said that, a black light painted over by bluish colors emerged from my hand, and light emerged from the crystal as a response, running through my body. Holographic lights formed into a cylinder, with me standing within it. Displaying various words as it scans me.

[Name: Carus]

[Scanning energy possession]

[Found: mana]

[Scanning mana……]

[Vitals: normal.]

[Physique….]

[Pure human body confirmed.]

[Component analysis: normal.]

[FULL BODY SCAN: COMPLETE]

[Conducting inner confirmation.]

[Analyzing magic aptitude…..]

[Analyzing innate talent…..]

[Analyzing latent talent…..]

[Inner scanning ongoing….mind…strength…..]

The scanning takes a short while before it finishes. I stretch my body, yawing with slight tears in my eyes. I’m glad it’s finally done. I’m already sleepy.

[Overall scanning: complete.]

An enormous screen appears in the thin air. As if it’s intended to show the world its content.

"Wow, full of zero.”

As I thought, this scrap of junk is good at humiliating others.

Everyone in the facility was wholly attracted to the screen, including me. It's something to be expected since I'm directly under the care of the vice-head of this place. Though those eyes were sharp,.

"Isn't that way too terrible even for the average human?"

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“He doesn’t get anything, and his mana output is also low.”

"What's up with that junk mana?"

"Aren't kids around his age? They get at least 100, and the lowest is 50."

"Hmph. Why did the vice head pick someone like that?"

"More of that, the question is: Was he really from a world like this, which is rich with mana?"

"Is he junk from another world? Not a single affinity for magic?!"

"What is that? That's too pitiful. Hahahahahah."

“…………”

The huge screen in front of me displays my so-called stats without my consent. To put it bluntly, all of it except for my mana was labeled with a dash, simply meaning none. One single digit in the mana was conspicuous because of that. An output of 3

The people around me either look at me with cold eyes or with pity. Whispering loudly just to be heard by me, snickering as they pleased.

——————

That's the reason why I'm shunned here. They isolate me as they please. Because of their eyes, I'm not even inborn in this world. Well, they're not entirely wrong. I'm not from this world after all.

I'm from Earth, though I doubt that's related to my current predicament. The Mc aside, some reincarnators from Earth that will be revealed later actually possessed great talent.

Though it's unreasonable in this world, the magic component in my body was almost nonexistent. This world, "Araeh," is the one with the highest mana potency. The world with the best magic user... And there's me...

A distain—in their eyes, I'm a kid who should be in a world with less magic.

A kid with almost no magic element in his body, with barely a mana output of 3. I’m by far not disappointed by the result. There’s no other type of magic energy in my body, which I’m glad about.

Having many types of magical energies in the body is not always a good thing. But there are few individuals who can use three types of magical energies at once skillfully. But the quality will cancel each other out, diminishing it a bit.

The backlash was also severalfold horrible. Like when you drain one of those energies, the gap will be filled, causing a strong pressure that can crash the body from the inside, leading to death.

That's why I didn't have any expectations. But I wouldn't forgive them for insulting my mana. No matter how minuscule it may be,

It was Cilestia’s whole existence.

***

Despite my unusual incompetence, Lhina takes me in. She raised someone like me with all her love and care. I even have the freedom. Such a gentle person I've been with since the beginning of this life. Thus, becoming a person like her...

“Arhhggg.”

“Help!!!”

“Ahhhg…”

"Isn't he inept? How can he be that strong?"

“He definitely cheats!! ”

“GAh….”

Which is not the case—there’s no way I’d be like her.

"Motherfuckers, is that all you got? Hahhh!!!! I roared as range pulsed through my vein.

Gazing beneath me was a remnant of a disaster. Pesky goons lay down, groaning in pain, as some of them ran for their lives. They're covered in dirt, while their clothes are tattered. Amidst it was me, standing perfectly fine. Wearing a long black sleeve with blue pants, without a single rip or mud on it.

So this is what it feels like to beat someone, huh?

It’s so satisfying!!!

I might be raised properly, but I'm a full-blown mess. My previous self was retained in this life. I was also raised the same way in my past life. Although my toxic surroundings molded my personality back in the day,.

The only thing that changed was that I don't beat people around senselessly like this. I avoided troubles in my past life. But my remaining pride wouldn't take an insult from some brat, especially if they insulted Cilestia. If I can beat them, why not do it?

I'm used to ignoring insults from my past life; fights are not my forte, unfortunately. And I would rather avoid it than head straight to it. Although it's late, it seems I inherited my father's traits from my past life. He was the type of person who'd raise his fist to those who pissed him off.

My temper was quite good in the past. I don't know why it comes to this, but maybe I know that I have the means to destroy them. I'm already a bit of a scumbag; nothing will change.

Well, I’m me.

"Gah, I… I'm so… sorry."

The pig begs, trying to breathe some air from my grip that is choking him.

I gaze at him sharply. "For what?"

"So, sorry for insulting you."

This bastard, he's not sincere.

Mana is the representation of oneself; it is said that the mana within a person mirrors its owner. It's not the power or output; it's the mana itself. It has a different texture, look, feel, and other things that make it distinctive. That will be the signature of the mana solely for one.

It takes shape together with its vessel. Each person has their own perspective, unique to them. That’s why it’s distinguishable. It’s easy to recognize mana, as long as you can sense it. And if the sensitivity towards mana breaks past what is normal, it's possible to see what is hidden within it—including emotion.

Hmm. I can sense hatred in his mana.

Mana was connected to its bearer more than another. Even emotion hides deep within it. Sensing emotion through mana is something I never deemed to be possible... until that certain day.

I inevitably frowned as I felt an unpleasant rage directed at me. This bastard has the audacity to be the one to get mad?!

I glared at him, tightening my hand.

"Oi, do you think I care about it?""

His face winced in pain and hatred. "Yo, you're a freak! Are you that mad because I insulted your pitiful mana?"

“You finally show your true self.”

Losing his color, my cold, gleaming eyes reflect his.

“Allow me as well.”

My mana concentrates in my left hand, swinging it down to his belly with all my might, causing it to shake violently. Loosening my grip, he falls, dripping saliva from his mouth. The remaining brats couldn't do anything aside from watch in horror.

“Aghh….”

I didn’t kill him. With all that armor covering his body, that wouldn't kill him. I let him cast the barrier at the last minute; that's why I'm able to hit him with a hand empowered by mana. The kids in the orphanage at least taught some basic magic—those who can learn. That’s why I’m certain he will use it before I strike.

What I have done might be vicious for mere brats. But I'm younger than them—in this body. They tried to gang up on me, so I fought back. My action is perfectly justifiable. Wait? Did they gang up on me? Ain’t I banging them up mercilessly?

Well, who cares? It wouldn’t change the fact that they piss me off. Surprisingly, I enjoy beating someone. Doing something I’m not able to pull off, nor do I try because I would rather avoid trouble in my past life.

A warm breeze blows past me and brings me back to my senses. And I remember a very crucial thing.

Gah, I used mana to hit someone!

Quickly coming to my senses, I scrutinize the surroundings. A brutal onslaught lay before my eyes. My face grimaced at the realization. Shit, what have I done?

If Lhina discovered this, she'd scold me.

As I racked my head for how to escape this predicament,. I spot thick bushes in the corner of my eye. Leaving the massacre behind, I stealthily escape through the bush without the stun goons noticing me.

Now that I think about it, Ain’t leaving the orphanage prohibited? How do these scraps sneak out? I've got my way, but I doubt dumbasses like them would be capable of making their way 'there'.

Maybe I should stay out until night to avoid any reproach.